Reading List
- Islam Reading ListRecommended books and films on Islam from McKee Library's collection.
Islam
- IslamIslam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. Although its roots go back further, scholars typically date the creation of Islam to the 7th century, making it the youngest of the major world religions. Islam started in Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia, during the time of the prophet Muhammad’s life. Today, the faith is spreading rapidly throughout the world.
- IslamIslam is an Abrahamic-monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah (l. 570-632 CE, after whose name Muslims traditionally add “peace be upon him” or, in writing, PBUH). Alongside Christianity and Judaism, it is a continuation of the teachings of Abraham (featured in both Jewish and Christian scriptures, considered a prophet in Islam, after whose name Muslims say, “peace be upon him” as well), although it does differ in some respects from both of these. The adherents of Islam are referred to as Muslims, of which there are around two billion in the world today, second only to Christians in number.
- Islam: Basic BeliefsIslam is an Arabic word which means "surrender, submission, commitment and peace." Thus, Islam can be defined as a path to attain complete peace through voluntary submission to the divine will.
Streaming Media
- Essentials of Faith: IslamThe Five Pillars of Islam—belief in one God, praying five times a day, fasting, giving to charity, and going on pilgrimage—guide all Muslims. But cultural and political influences have shaped the observance of the faith in various ways from country to country. This program explores the beliefs of four Islamic leaders and scholars who communicate penetrating insights and observations on the contrasts and continuity within their religion. Interviewees include Imam Abdul Sajid of the Al-Hijrah Trust, chef and TV show host Michael Bukht, prominent London banker Kosser Sheikh, and Professor Haleh Afshar, a lecturer in politics and women’s studies at the University of York.
- Holy Qur'anStudy the Qur'an's structure and contents, noting how the message of faith - revolutionary for its time - is spread throughout the suras (chapters). Read the beautiful poetry, explore the Qur'an's major themes, and consider how its stories compare to the same stories as told in the Old Testament of the Bible.
- Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really ThinkThe film explores the world's first major opinion poll, conducted by the Gallup organization. It asked Muslims from Indonesia to South Asia, to the Middle East, as well as minority communities in the US and Europe, what they thought about issues such as Gender Equality, Terrorism, and Democracy. It presented by Islamic scholars and the Gallup members themselves who give context and try to provide explanations for the results.
- Islam vs. IslamIn the West, Islam is often oversimplified—to the detriment of better understanding this complex religion and the diverse interpretations inspired by its tenets. The Aspen Institute and Bill Moyers brought together eight journalists and scholars from the U.S., Pakistan, France, Iraq, Turkey, India, and Britain to join in a conversation about the history and motives of the states too easily grouped under the heading "Islamic nations." The panelists identify and explore the fulcrum of the conflict: increasing tension between the growth of religious expression in the region and the pressures of modernity from the West.
- What is Islam?Islam has 1.6 billion followers around the world - so perhaps it's where host Tevya will find the answer's he's looking for. He starts out with a visit to the Taric Islamic Centre where he learns why it is important to cleanse himself before prayer, what Halal is, an introduction to the history of Muhammad and the devotion it takes to be a Muslim.
Perspectives
Reading the Qur'an
"I grew up reading the Qur'an on my mother's lap," writes Ziauddin Sardar. "It's an experience I share with most Muslim children. And so it is that our connection to the Qur'an is infused with associations of the warmest and most enduring of human bonds."In Reading the Qur'an, Sardar - one of Europe's leading public intellectuals - laments that for far too many Muslims, the Qur'an he had learned in his mother's lap has become a stick used for ensuring conformity and suppressing dissenting views. Indeed, some find in the Qur'an justification formisogyny, validation for hatred of others, an obsession with dress and mindless ritual, rules for running modern states. Arguing passionately but reasonably against these trends, Sardar speaks out for a more open, less doctrinaire approach to reading the Qur'an. He contends that the Qur'an is notfixed in stone for all time, but a dynamic text which every generation must encounter anew, and whose relevance and implications for our time we have yet to fully discover. The words of the Qur'an imply movement: the religious life, it tells us, is not about standing still but always striving tomake our life, our society, the entire world around us a better place for everyone. Sardar explores the Qur'an from a variety of perspectives, from traditional exegesis to hermeneutics, critical theory, and cultural analysis, drawing fresh and contemporary lessons from the Sacred Text. He alsoexamines what the Qur'an says about such contemporary topics as power and politics, rights of women, suicide, domestic violence, sex, homosexuality, the veil, freedom of expression, and evolution.Ziauddin Sardar opens a new window on this remarkable Sacred Text, in a book that will engage all devout Muslims and will interest anyone curious about the Qur'an and Islam today.
Islam: A Thousand Years of Faith and Power
In its first thousand years?from the revelations to Muhammad in the seventh century to the great Islamic empires of the sixteenth--Islamic civilization flourished. While Europeans suffered through the Dark Ages, Muslims in such cities as Jerusalem, Damascus, Alexandria, Fez, Tunis, Cairo, and Baghdad made remarkable advances in philosophy, science, medicine, literature, and art. This engrossing and accessible book explores the first millennium of Islamic culture, shattering stereotypes and enlightening readers about the events and achievements that have shaped contemporary Islamic civilization. Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair examine the rise of Islam, the life of Muhammad, and the Islamic principles of faith. They describe the golden age of the Abbasids, the Mongol invasions, and the great Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal empires that emerged in their wake. Their narrative, complemented by excerpts of the Koran, poetry, biographies, inscriptions, travel guides, and even a thirteenth-century recipe, concludes with a brief epilogue that takes us to the twenty-first century. Colorfully illustrated, this book is a wonderful introduction to the rich history of a civilization that still radically affects the world. ]]>
What the Qur'an Meant
In this book Wills, as a non-Muslim with an open mind, reads the Qur'an with sympathy but with rigor, trying to discover why other non-Muslims - like Pope Francis - find it an inspiring book, worthy to guide people down through the centuries. There are many traditions that add to and distort and blunt the actual words of the text. What Wills does resembles the work of art restorers who clean away accumulated layers of dust to find the original meaning.
Faith and Practice of Islam
Three treatises explain clearly and succinctly the teachings of Ibn al' Arabi, and the Sufi perspective on Islamic belief and practice. The author is not unambiguously identified, but he certainly wrote in Persia, near Konya, during the time of al' Arabi and the other major Sufi teacher and poet, Jala al-Din Rumi. Paper edition (not seen), $19.95.
Need to Know? Islam
Essential overview for everyone who wants to understand what Islam is and what it means today.
Reformist Voices of Islam: Mediating Islam and Modernity
This compelling volume introduces the current generation of moderate reformist thinkers and activists within Islam, the intellectual traditions they carry on, and the reasons why reformist movements have been overshadowed by fundamentalist, revolutionary, and jihadist movements in the Islamic world today.
Islam and Christianity
In light of the widespread public perception of incompatibility between Islam and Christianity, this book provides a much-needed straightforward comparison of these two great faith traditions from a broad theological perspective. Award-winning scholar John Renard illuminates the similarities as well as the differences between Islam and Christianity through a clear exploration of four major dimensions?historical, creedal, institutional, and ethical and spiritual. Throughout, the book features comparisons between concrete elements such as creedal statements, prayer texts, and writings from major theologians and mystics. It also includes a glossary of technical theological terms. For western readers in particular, this balanced, authoritative work overturns some common stereotypes about Islam, especially those that have emerged in the decade since September 11, 2001.
Research & Reference
- Islam: Credo ReferenceIslam is an Arabic word meaning submission, in this context to the will of God (Allah), and denotes the name of the religion that was initiated with Adam and finally revived with the last revelation to the Last Prophet, Muhammad (c.570-632 CE), through the Archangel Gabriel in the form of the Qurˀan over twenty years. The followers of this religion are called Muslims, not Muhammadans as was in the past sometimes mistakenly assumed in the West (by extrapolation from the naming of Christians after Christ). Islam covers every aspect of life, social, political, economic, ethical and so on.
- World Religion Profile: IslamA discussion of the religion Islam is presented, along with information about those who follow it, called Muslims. Shia and Sunni are the majority groups who practice the Five Pillars. The Qur’an is the Islamic sacred text and its predominant figure is Muhammad, considered the Prophet to the Arabs. The history of Islam is examined in addition to the holy site Mecca, sacred symbols, and God, or Allah. Food restrictions and religious gestures are also explored.